Package



June 13, 1967 w. G'RAWLINGS 3,325,001.

PACKAGE Filed Jan. 10. 1966 1 VENTOR. WALLACE G. WLINGS ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,325,001 PACKAGE Wallace G. Rawlings, Greenwood, S.C., assignor to Parke, Davis & Company, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Jan. 10, 1966, Ser. No. 519,485 Claims. (Cl. 20656) This invention relates to a package for storing and dispensing stick-like objects such as cotton-tipped swabs or the like.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved package for storing a plurality of small sticklike objects, such as a cotton-tipped swab which is used for surgical and hygienic purposes, wherein such objects are securely and safely stored for shipment, and which provides easy access for removal of individual objects from the package without disturbing the remainder of the objects stored in the package.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a package of the above character which is economical in construction and which facilitates handling and filling the package with the objects to be stored therein, thereby reducing the overall cost of the package to the consumer.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the package of the present invention, illustrating a drawerlike tray of the package pulled partially out of an enveloping sleeve of the package to expose the top layer of cotton-tipped swabs.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view of one of the corrugated supports removed from the package and illustrating a swab resting in place thereon.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3, but greatly enlarged thereover.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal part sectional view of a modified package also in accordance with the present invention.

Referring in more detail to FIGS. 1 and 2, one embodiment of the package of the present invention comprises a rectangular tray 12 slidably received in drawer-like fashion in a sleeve 14. Tray 12 may be made of cardboard, heavy paper or the like from flat sheet stock in a conventional manner to form a five sided open top box consisting of opposite parallel side walls 16 and 18 and parallel opposed end walls 20 and 22 each secured to the associated edge of a rectangular bottom wall 24 (see FIG. 2) and interconnected at the four corners. Sleeve 14 may be made of like material and consists of opposed parallel side walls 26 and 28 connected by opposed parallel top and bottom walls 30 and 32, respectively. Sleeve 14 is dimensioned to slidably receive tray 12 through either open end of the sleeve and to slightly overlap the ends 20, 22 of tray 12 when the tray is fully inserted therein so that theopen top of the tray 12 may be completely covered by top wall 30.

In accordance with a principal feature of the present invention, the objects to be stored in package 10 are supported in an orderly and predetermined arrangement therein by one or more corrugated supports. As illustrated by way of example herein, package 10 is adapted to hold three identical corrugated supports 34, 36 and 38 which are stacked one upon another in tray 12 as best seen in FIG. 2. Each support 34, 36, 38 preferably comprises a piece of corrugated cardboard, which is commercially available in roll or sheet form. Such corrugated cardboard is adapted for use in the present invention by cutting the stock to proper length and width dimensions such that support 34 may be laid into tray 12 through the open top thereof and has a slight clearance between its edges and the walls 16-22 of tray 12. As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, a corrugated support as so made from such commercial corrugated material consists of a flat bottom layer 40 and a vertically corrugated top layer 42 superimposed on and adhesively secured to bottom layer 40 and coextensive therewith. Referring to the enlarged view of FIG. 4, the corrugations of layer 42 may be considered to consist of a series of interconnected, alternating and oppositely facing parallel ridges or ribs 44 and 46 which extend transversely of support 34 between side walls 16 and 18 of tray 12. Ribs 44 are disposed with their peaks 48 facing cover 36 of the package, whereas ribs 46 are disposed with their peaks 50 facing and in contact with the upper surface of bottom layer 40. Peak 50 of each rib 46 is securely joined to layer 40 by an adhesive 52. The corrugated upper layer 42 imparts strength and rigidity to the support and hence both layers 40 and 42 may be made of lightweight material such as paper stock having a thickness of .005 inch. Due to each peak 50 of ribs 46 being secured to the flat layer 40, the material is dimensionally stable in its lengthwise direction, i.e., the distance between adjacent peaks 48 remains relatively constant even when the material is pulled or stretched lengthwise during handling or conveying of the same in automatic packaging machinery.

Corrugated stock as described above is available commercially with a uniform spacing of peaks 48 of about inch, and thus is particularly well adapted for supporting cotton-tipped swabs as customarily made today. Such swabs 54 (FIGS. 1 and 3) are customarily made on automatic machinery and comprise a stick-like body member 56 made of wood, plastic, paper or the like and tipped at each end with cotton to provide generally conical heads 58 and 60 which customarily have a maximum diameter of about 7 inch. Hence, when such swabs are laid on support 34, they automatically roll by gravity into a partially nested relation between adjacent peaks 48 (FIGS. 2-4). As best seen in FIG. 4, the axis 62 of each swab 54 is disposed above peaks 48, and due to the smaller diameter of body 56 of the swab, the same is held spaced from adjacent peaks 48. Thus, swabs 54 are held in substantially uniform spaced relation which, combined with the elevated position of 'body 56, greatly facilitates individual removal of the swabs by the user, and without disturbing the remainder of the swabs on the support.

In assembling package 10, the corrugated stock from which each support 34, 36, 38 is formed is first cut to the aforementioned width dimension but is not initially transversely cut into individual lengths. Rather, it may be fed in roll form through automatic machinery wherein swabs are rapidly sequentially deposited one on each corrugation of the strip, the strip of corrugated stock serving at this point as a conveyor and support for the transport of the swabs in uniformly spaced relation through and from the machine. The strip after being thus loaded with swabs may be sliced transversely into individual lengths and then conveyed to an assembly station where the supports are visually inspected and then inserted into tray 12 one on top of another to provide a multi-layer package of swabs. As best seen in FIG. 3, tray 12 may he dimensioned to contain three loaded supports 34, 36 and 38 to provide a triple layer package. Bottom layer 40 of support 34 rests firmly on bottom wall 24 of the tray while the flat bottom layers 40 of supports 36 and 38 rest on the heads 58 and 60 of the next lower layer of swabs. Thus the layers of swabs are maintained in uniformly spaced relation in the package and there is no interlocking of one layer with another. When each tray 12 is thus fully loaded with swabs, the same is inserted endwise into the enveloping sleeve 14 and then conveyed to wrapping machinery in which the package is sealed by a suitable wrapper (not shown) in the usual manner.

In use of the package of the invention by the consumer, the outer wrapper is first removed and then tray 12 may be pulled partially or entirely out of sleeve 14 to expose as many swabs 54 as may be needed. Due to the retention of the swabs individually in the corrugations, the swabs remain securely in place on support 38 even though heads 58 and 60 of the swabs resting on support 38 may rub against the undersurface of cover wall 30 as tray 12 is withdrawn from sleeve 14, thereby avoiding the aggravating nuisance of having the swabs stack up at the rear of the tray as it is withdrawn. In addition, this feature insures that only as many swabs as are needed are exposed, thus avoiding possible contamination of the remaining swabs on the top layer. After the needed swabs have been removed, the remaining swabs are likewise retained in proper position as the tray 12 is slid back into the enclosing sleeve 14. After all the swabs have been removed from the top layer, the user removes support 38 and discards the same, thereby exposing the next layer of swabs for individual removal in like manner.

The package of the present invention may be modified as illustrated in FIG. to provide a package 70 which is openable at one end for removal of the swabs. Package 70 consists of spaced top and bottom walls 72 and 74 connected by spaced parallel side walls 76 and 78. One end of package 70 may be permanently closed by an end wall 80 while the other end is closed by a movable end wall 82 hingedly secured at 84 to the adjacent edge of bottom wall 74. End wall 82 may have a flap 86 adapted to slip beneath the undersur-face of top wall 72. Package 70 is adapted for loading through the open end by sliding in the loaded corrugated supports 34, 36, 38 in that order. Due to the fiat bottom walls of these supports, one support may be slid readily over another without disturbing the swabs contacted by the superadjacent bottom wall, the corrugations assisting in holding the swabs in place against any tendency to dislodge due to the sliding action encountered in assembly and in use. Likewise, in use of modified package 70, the top, middle and bottom layers of swabs may be sequentially exposed as required for removal of individual swabs by grasping the outer end edge of the associated support and sliding the same outwardly of the open end of the package as illustrated by the position of support 38 in FIG. 5.

From the foregoing description, it will now be apparent that a package constructed in accordance with the present invention is well adapted for packaging many items, particularly relatively small objects, such as cotton-tipped swabs. The card-like corrugated supports facilitate loading, conveying and filling of the package and when once assembled in the package serve as dividers which maintain a uniform spaced arrangement of the swabs. Convenient individual removal of the swabs as required is also obtained without disturbing the remainder of the package. The package is low in cost since the material of the corrugated supports or dividers may be inexpensive commercially available corrugated paper or cardboard stock. Such material provides a strong, rigid support for the swabs which is highly stable in its lengthwise dimension even when subjected to lengthwise tension forces. Hence, the same is well adapted for use as a strip conveyor in the swab packaging machinery, thereby lending itself to automated packaging techniques. The flat underside of the corrugated material also facilitates packing and unpacking of the layers by eliminating interlocking action. In addition, a package of the invention retains a swab in the package of the invention retains a swab in the package in a neat and attractive manner even after part of the package has been emptied.

Although the package of the present invention has been described with respect to cotton-tipped sticks or swabs, it will be understood that it is within the scope of the invention to package other articles which present similar packaging problems in the package of the invention.

I claim:

1. A package including in combination a plurality of articles such as swabs each having a stick-like body member and a head made of soft material secured to one end of said body member with the head projecting radially outwardly therefrom, said heads having substantially the same predetermined maximum dimension radially of said body member, and means for packaging said swabs in orderly, confined and generally parallel rows comprising a fiat bottom wall, peripheral walls secured upright to said bottom wall to define a compartment containing said swabs, a top wall disposed parallel to and spaced from said bottom wall forming a cover for said compartment, and a plurality of corrugated supports one for each row of said swabs removably disposed in said compartment, each of said supports comprising a flat bottom layer disposed parallel to said bottom wall and a corrugated layer superimposed on said bottom layer having a row of substantially uniformly laterally spaced first ribs facing said cover and a row of second ribs facing and secured to said bottom layer and alternating with and extending parallel to said first ribs, said swabs being individually nested between and extending parallel to adjacent pairs of said first ribs, said first ribs of said corrugated layer being shaped, dimensioned and laterally spaced relative to said maximum radial dimension of said heads such that the head of each said swab is cradled in partially nested relation between the associated adjacent pair of said first ribs With the head projecting above said first ribs, said supports being disposed in a stacked array with said bottom layers of each support facing said bottom wall, one of said supports having its bottom layer resting on said bottom wall, another one of said supports having its bottom layer resting on said heads of said swabs disposed on said one support, said walls being spaced from one another in a predetermined manner such that said supports and said swabs together occupy substantially the entire space between said bottom and top walls with the heads of the swabs disposed on the uppermost one of said supports adjacent said cover whereby said supports are spaced out of contact with one another by the heads of said swabs to thereby confine and cushion the stacked array of said supports and said swabs against disarrangement in said package and to prevent excessive rattling of said supports and swabs within said package during shipment and handling.

2. The package set forth in claim 1 wherein said upright peripheral walls comprise a pair of parallel side walls and a pair of parallel end walls connected across the ends of said side walls to define with said bottom wall a rectangular tray open at the top thereof, and said packaging means includes a four-sided sleeve open at its ends and adapted to slidably receive said tray endwise therein, one of the sides of said sleeve providing said cover, said supports being disposed with said corrugations extending perpendicular to the direction of sliding movement of said tray in said sleeve.

3. The package set forth in claim 1 wherein said cover is connected to said peripheral walls, one of said peripheral walls being hinged to said bottom wall and movable for opening one end of said compartment, said corrugated supports being individually slidable through said one end when said one end is opened for exposing said swabs resting on said supports, said supports being disposed .in said compartment with said corrugations extending perpendicular to the direction of said sliding movement of said supports.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said corrugations are dimensioned relative to the heads of said swabs such that each said swab is cradled between said associated adjacent first ribs with its body member spaced generally above the plane of said first ribs to facilitate manually gripping said body member for removing said swab from the associated support.

5. The package as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said articles has a second head made of soft material secured to an end of said body member opposite to said one end of said body member with said second head projecting radially outwardly from said body member, said second heads each having a predetermined maximum dimension radially of said body member which is substantially the same as said predetermined maximum radial dimension of said first-mentioned heads.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

J. M. CASKIE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PACKAGE INCLUDING IN COMBINATION A PLURALITY OF ARTICLES SUCH AS SWABS EACH HAVING A STICK-LIKE BODY MEMBER AND A HEAD MADE OF SOFT MATERIAL SECURD TO ONE END OF SAID BODY MEMBER WITH THE HEAD PROJECTING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY THEREFROM, SAID HEADS HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME PREDETERMINED MAXIMUM DIMENSION RADIALLY OF SAID BODY MEMBER, AND MEANS FOR PACKAGING SAID SWABS IN ORDERLY, CONFINED AND GENERALLY PARALLEL ROWS COMPRISING A FLAT BOTTOM WALL, PERIPHERAL WALLS SECURED UPRIGHT TO SAID BOTTOM WALL TO DEFINE A COMPARTMENT CONTAINING SAID SWABS, A TOP WALL DISPOSED PARALLEL TO AND SPACED FROM SAID BOTTOM WALL FORMING A COVER FOR SAID COMPARTMENT, AND A PLURALITY OF CORRUGATED SUPPORTS ONE OF EACH ROW OF SAID SWABS REMOVABLY DISPOSED IN SAID COMPARTMENT, EACH OF SAID SUPPORTS COMPRISING A FLAT BOTTOM LAYER DISPOSED PARALLEL TO SAID BOTTOM WALL AND A CORRUGATED LAYER SUPERIMPOSED UNIFORMLY LATERALLY SPACED FIRST RIBS FACING SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY LATERALLY SPACED FIRST RIBS FACING SAID COVER AND A ROW OF SECOND RIBS FACING AND SECURED TO SAID BOTTOM LAYER AND ALTERNATING WITH AND EXTENDING PARALLEL TO SAID FIRST RIBS, SAID SWABS BEING INDIVIDUALLY NESTED BETWEEN AND EXTENDING PARALLEL TO ADJACENT PAIRS OF SAID FIRST RIBS, SAID FIRST RIBS OF SAID CORRUGATED LAYER BEING SHAPED, DIMENSIONED AND LATERALLY SPACED RELATIVE TO SAID MAXIMUM RADIAL DIMENSION OF SAID HEADS SUCH THAT THE HEAD OF EACH SAID SWABS IS CRADLED IN PARTIALLY NESTED RELATION BETWEEN THE ASSOCIATED ADJACENT PAIR OF SAID FIRST RIBS WITH THE HEAD PROJECTING ABOVE SAID FIRST RIBS, SAID SUPPORTS BEING DISPOSED IN A STACKED ARRAY WITH SAID BOTTOM LAYERS OF EACH SUPPORT FACING SAID BOTTOM WALL, ONE OF SAID SUPPORTS HAVING ITS BOTTOM LAYER RESTING ON SAID BOTTOM WALL, ANOTHER ONE OF SAID SUPPORTS HAVING ITS BOTTOM LAYER RESTING ON SAID HEADS OF SAID SWABS DISPOSED ON SAID ONE SUPPORT, SAID WALLS BEING SPACED FROM ONE ANOTHER IN A PREDETERMINED MANNER SUCH THAT SAID SUPPORTS AND SAID SWABS TOGETHER OCCUPY SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE SPACE BETWEEN SAID BOTTOM AND TOP WALLS WITH THE HEADS OF THE SWABS DISPOSED ON THE UPPERMOST ONE OF SAID SUPPORTS ADJACENT SAID COVER WHEREBY SAID SUPPORTS ARE SPACED OUT OF CONTACT WITH ONE ANOTHER BY THE HEADS OF SAID SWABS TO THEREBY CONFINE AND CUSHION THE STACKED ARRAY OF SAID SUPPORTS AND SAID SWABS AGAINST DISARRANGEMENT IN SAID PACKAGE AND TO PREVENT EXCESSIVE RATTLING OF SAID SUPPORTS AND SWABS WITHIN SAID PACKAGE DURING SHIPMENT AND HANDLING. 